The Beginning
by xuanling9116
Summary: It was a long forgotten promise and memory, of how the two encounter each other during the first snowfall in the Outer Ghetto. Oneshot.


**Pairing: SomaXOc(Future Protagonist)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except for my three OCs and the plots. Even so, please do not copy paste my fiction and claims it as your own.**

**Warning: Soma might be a bit OOC here.**

"Back off! Don't come near me! Stay away!" the boy snarled, stood up abruptly after being softly tapped on his small shoulder, he eyed the girl who was no older than him, or maybe younger with upmost alert run through his every veins, he had had enough of the sight of deaths today, he certainly don't need another one for the time being, a girl who is around the same age as him at that. The girl was slightly startled by the boy's sudden outburst, but luckily, she showed no sign of brawling her eyes out by his temper, the boy silently thanked to that. "What did you want?!" he pressed, obviously not liking the sudden contact.

"I…" the girl hesitated at first, actually not knowing what she wanted to say to him herself, still, she quickly start to talk as she felt the boy's patience was growing thin like a ticking bomb, ready to explode on her anytime soon, "I didn't meant to startle you," she stuttered, "I just passed by here and saw you sitting here alone… So…"

"And that proves that you're not blind," he huffed, clutching his fist tight in anger and annoyance, "Yea, I sat here alone, so what? Mind your own business and do me a favor, go away!" he gave a hard shove on her shoulder and sat back down on the same spot he had just sat minutes ago without looking at her expression, he had expected her to cry her way back to her parents or whoever like every typical little girl who had encountered rough treatments, well, that was what he expected, while actually felt a little guilty… only a little.

But the girl, instead away crying away, she carefully walked towards him, after few seconds confirming that he won't suddenly gave her another rough push or hit her even; she sat down beside him without minding the dirt on the ground, facing him curiously. The boy gritted his teeth, and gave her an angry glare that would even scare the full-fledged Gods Eaters to flee, "Which words of 'go away' that you do not understand?"

"All of it."

"…"

The girl looked unfazed by his glare and proceed to stare, before the boy was on the verge to snap, she asked innocently, "Why are you so eager to chase me away?" it was just a simple question, but simple enough to remind the boy why he had shunned himself away from the others, this was becoming a no-brainer to the others in The Den.

Because anyone who went near him always ends up dead. Just like the two partners during the mission an hour ago, they were doomed to die since the very moment that they are being grouped up as a team. One has been devoured by the aragami limb by limb, while the other was petrified by the sight and revealed an opening for the remaining monster slash him in half.

"Isn't it obvious enough? Because you are annoying!" he growled at her, mentally plotting a second attempt to chase her away. She doesn't need to know. She doesn't need to know that she will be cursed if she came near him, or maybe she has already been cursed at the moment that she had innocently tapped on his shoulder. Still, she doesn't need to know.

"Really?" she looked unconvinced, taking a closer look at the boy, staring straight in the boy's eyes that are almost hidden by his long bangs and hoodie, "Why I don't think that is the reason..." she said softly.

"And why is that?" he pulled his hoodie even lower to cut off her gaze away from his face, irritated by how this girl just won't leave him alone. Then again, her next words made him stunned.

"Because you looked sad... And lonely too."

"No I'm not." He retorted with his back facing the girl, crossed his hands around his chest hastily and fixed his gaze at the far away desert, where he had just fought a Vajra and three Ogretail earlier. The backup had cleared up the corpse of the Aragamis, along with the remnants of his now dead partners, but the bloodstain still remains matted on the dirt, painting the sands in deep scarlet. It was another sight of a bloody death. "Now go away," he repeated.

There was a few second silence between them until the girl speaks again, "I'm staying here for now," using her finger to draw a circle on the dirt, "to keep you company."

"I don't need it," he growled again, still refusing to look at the girl, "Now go back to your parents, it is not safe here since it was near the border!" Even though he had just slayed the Aragami, the border of the Outer Ghetto will only safe for now, since you won't know when another bloodthirsty beast will suddenly pop out of nowhere. "I'm sure they are looking for you right now," she looked defenseless, almost too innocent, it won't be surprising to know that she came from a good family, unlike him.

"They won't look for me, since they abandoned me," she said, but strangely, she doesn't sound sad at all, "I'm a happier person right now than when I was with that woman, so I don't mind the change."

"...Huh?" this caught his attention, he turn his face to side glance at the girl, took a quick scan at her from head to toe, and frowned. The girl looked well cared; she certainly doesn't look like an abandoned child. Odd.

"Then who are you with right now?" he was surprised himself to even asked, because he never stick his nose into someone else business. The girl grinned at the question, "My brothers, Rinc and Leo! They are really nice to me, and we travels around a lot!"

Brothers, huh? The boy huffed at that, "Then go back to your brothers and go on travelling. Stop pestering me,"

"No can't do," she chuckled nervously.

"And why is that?" he could feel his tolerance running out of him again.

"Because I'm lost."

"..." he stared blankly at her, didn't know what to say, "Seriously? Is this the reason why you refuse to leave me alone?"

"Not entirely, my brothers told me to wait by that gate if I'm lost, and they will come looking for me there when they are done stocking up our supplies for our next destination." pointing at the main gate of Outer Ghetto that was twenty blocks away from here, "Then I do as they says, planning to wait 'till they are done, until I happened to saw you sitting here all alone,"

"So it is **YOU **who seek for a companion, not me," the boy concluded, "Then be a good brother's little girl and go wait by the main gate, don't hang around me too much," you'll die. Of course, he didn't say the last part out loud.

"Nah, we can keep each other company," she chirped cheerfully.

"..." he could only stare, it is not every day that you could find a stranger being all so familiar with you, near impossible in this dying world, "You are bizarre," was the only thing he could said to this little airhead.

"Didn't your so-called brothers tell you that it is not safe to talk to a stranger?" he stated tauntingly at her.

"They did!" she grinned, held up both of her little fists, "They told me if the stranger is going to do strange things to me, just stab right into the stranger's eyes and kick him hard between his legs... But I wonder why though- hey, why did you shift so far away from me?" she exclaimed at the boy who suddenly moves away from her.

"Because I have no intention to go blind and suffer the pain from my... Never mind..." it seems that the girl was still not aware of the 'difference' between two genders. Like hell he was going to tell her that, he will just have to ignore her and leave the birds and bees talk to her brothers. He had his fair share of the...talk, from the matron a few months ago when he visited the sickbay to restock his restore pill, on the exact same day he turned thirteen. And damn, it was way beyond embarrassing and awkward, he even swore to never visit the sickbay and especially THAT matron ever again.

"Eh? Why would I hurt you? You haven't done anything for me to do so," she frowned, shifting closer to him, "You are a good stranger! ... Although you are a little too grumpy..."

The boy scoffed at her words. Who knows? He may have no intention to hurt her, but once spending time with him, she will surely encounter misfortune in few days... Not that he wanted it to be that way. He stole a glance at the girl who was currently smiling friendly to him and made him quickly turned away with a tint pink appears on his cheeks. No, he definitely won't want any misfortune befall on this innocent girl. Even though this girl don't know a slightest thing about him, he still appreciates her friendly approach towards him, since never in his thirteen years life that there was a person even dare to come near him, people from the Den or not. He was thankful.

He stood up slowly; decided that it will be safer for the girl to stay away from him as far as possible. He gave her a brief farewell and turned, taking his leave.

"W-wait!"

He stopped at his mid-step, slightly growled, "What?" he snapped his head back to look at the girl, only to found her staring up to the sky with fearful eyes. After years of training to be alert outside the Den in case for the assault of Aragami, his body responded automatically, make a swift search at the direction that the girl staring fearfully at, instead, he found nothing but the first snowfall in this year's winter. He sighed in irritation, holding back himself from snapping at her, "What? Its winter season, having a snowfall is normal during winter; there is no need for you to freak out."

He got no respond from her. She was still facing the sky, stunned there for a few good moments until she flinch at the contact of the first snow landed on her cheek. She turned her gaze towards him, and asked with a pleading voice, "C-could you stay here with me for a little longer?"

"No," an immediate reply. He slightly frowned at the girl's sudden change in her attitude, where did that bizarre girl who just braves him go?

"Please..." her voice begins to waver, matching the fearful look she had on her face, "Please, just only for a little longer until Rinc or Leo comes to fetch me."

His eyebrow knitted together, frowning at her state. What did a simple snowfall did to make her plead like she was facing the door of hell?

"Please... I'm... I'm scared of the snow..." she sobbed, and scrambled up towards him and gripped on one of his hands tightly, like her life depends on it. He was taken aback by the sudden contact, eyes widen and jaw slightly slacked in surprise. No one had held his hand before; no one even dared, let alone depends on it, not even his own father...

At that very moment he realized, he had actually, secretly yearned for this kind of close contact from another human. The warm that radiates from her tiny hands flowed right into his slightly bigger ones, was beginning to turn cold due to her fear. It won't hurt, to stay a little longer... Right?

Just only for a little longer.

He gripped back at her hands and turned his face to aside, refusing to let her see his face, because his face has probably flaming up by now. Damn, how he wished he have extra hand grow out of nowhere to pull down his hoodie to hide his face.

"Only for a little longer, no more than that, got it?"

"More than enough!"

"Man, you are a handful." he murmured.

Overjoyed that she have a company until Rinc and Leo come look for her, she use one of her hands to wipe her teary eyes, and gave him a warm smile as a sign of thanks.

Once everything settled, Soma leads her to the abandoned booth not faraway to avoid the snow falling on the panic girl. Once he confirmed that the old booth won't collapse, he sat down along with the girl, turn his gaze up to the snowy sky when the girl did the opposite. But their hands still hold tight on each other's.

"Why are you so scared of snowing anyway?" he asked without looking at her, he could felt her hand trembles.

"Because..." she hesitated, trying to keep herself calm from panicking, she gripped on his hand harder, thankful that the other didn't seem to mind about it, "Because... Bad things always seem to look for me every first snowfall during winter... So... I'm scared...''

"Do I look like a bad thing to you?" he frowned, and held up their attached hands, dangling it in front of her face, giving her a 'you are the one who clings on it like your life depends on it' look.

"N-no! You are not a bad thing!" she exclaimed nervously, her free hand flaying up and down dramatically in panic, "You are a good person!"

"I see," he softly smiled, but quickly mask it away with his usual poker face, so it went unnoticed to the girl, "Which means a good thing happened to you in this year's first snowfall."

She abruptly stop her every movements, and looked at the boy in disbelief, but smiled timidly after that, relaxed her tight grip on him, "Uh-huh." Her strong trembles slowly ceased into a weaker one, barely able to sense it.

They both gave each some silence, knowing they both needs it until the girl was completely calming down… well not entirely, but better. She still seems restless at the snow that was currently piling up in a slow pace.

Ten minutes has passed until the girl starts to talk again, only this time she sounded less energetic, "So… You live in Outer Ghetto?"

The boy hummed, "Yea, but not in this area."

"Oh…" the girl shifted herself into a more comfortable sitting position and while her hand was still in his grasp, "So you are here to…?"

"You don't need to know," he said with a tint of upset in his slight angry tone, the images of his dead partner's appalling death came strolling in his mind, "I swear it was nothing nice."

"I see," she replied softly, decided it is best not to ask any more about his personal questions. Not because she was scared of his temper, it was because he sounds so sad. Whilst struggling to come up more impersonal questions, the boy breaks the silence for her, "What about you?"

"Me?"

"Yes, you." He said, "Since you said you are travelling with your brothers, I assume that you are not from the Outer Ghetto."

"Well…" she looked down aimlessly, playing with the boy's fingers, hesitating, "Far away from here, there was a slum, protected only by a weakening prototype Bias Factor walls build by mechanics and scientist before they all left, leaving the people there to survive alone with fear. People there are suffering, and would do anything to survive, even if it means to abandon one and another behind to face their death alone. I was accidently born in that kind of environment." The boy raised an eyebrow at that, he had heard nothing about that from the Den, it didn't even pop up on the terminal. And he had thought that only the people under the protection of Fenrir survive in this world. People here get rations from time to time from the Fenrir, so they wouldn't starve, to prevent anymore decrease in human populations. If that is the case, why won't the Fenrir just take in the people from outside instead of just leaving them to die?

"If you are wondering why people there are not protected, it is because most of the people there had already suffering with various diseases. They are dying even without aragami's attack. I for one, was lucky for not having any of those." She answer his questions in heart, still not looking at him, "and then my brothers found me, I travelled with them since then." There was more that she was not telling, but the boy did not press it further, just as she didn't to him, he respected that.

"Figured that you and your brothers are not related by blood," he scoffed, tugging his hand indicates her to stop playing with his calloused fingers, but still holding her hand nonetheless, "Stop playing, what is so fun about tugging someone else's fingers anyway." She chuckled at his statement, and do as she was told.

"By the way…"

"Hn?"

"Have you ever heard of the myth of 'The Red Thread of Fate'?" she asked, "One of my brothers stories it to me just recently, and I find it amazing!"

"What about that?" of course he had heard about it, the girls from the Den were always going on about myths and folklores, but he still act like he doesn't know and let the girl do her talking, for the sake of keeping her attention away from the snow. He shifted a little; outstretch his legs before they get numb.

"Hmm… he told me that there was a deity who was in charge of 'the red thread', tying knots around the little fingers of those that are to meet each other regardless of time, place, or circumstances and help each other in a certain way. This magical thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break. It was tied in our souls for all eternity, which also means, even the both who are destined to meet had died, they will still able to meet each other in their next life, and it goes on and on. Isn't that amazing?"

The boy was about to nod away, but the girl never ceased to amaze him, "And my brother told me that means that those who are tied with red thread can be friends in their every life!"

He stop in his mid-nod, and stared at the girl dumbfounded, "… Huh?"

Friends? Why did that sound so odd?

"I'm pretty sure that your so-called brothers had twisted the version." He muttered under his breath. The red thread was used to connect two destined lovers, not friends. Speaking of overprotective brothers.

"Sorry, did you just said something?" she tilted her head to a side, obviously didn't heard what he had just said due he was speaking to softly.

"I said," He replied," It was only folklore, you can't actually believe it, do you?"

"Well, you can't see it, but it doesn't mean that it's fake." She explained, earning a scoff from the boy as a reply, causing her to pout. The boy smirked at her expression.

The girl swiftly scans around the booth with her eyes, searching for what she need for her next step, until she caught a glimpse of crimson at the crack on the leg of wood made booth. She pulled the fabric out from the crack, which revealed to be a long thread of a worn out red silk, she grinned," This will make do." She turned back to the boy and proceeds on what she planned on doing.

The boy frowned again when the girl pulled her hand away from his grasp, not liking the way the warm hand just left his, "What are you doing?" He watches the girl tied their little fingers together with the thin and worn out piece of red fabric.

Once she was done, she inspected her work with and smiled in satisfaction, raising their tied little fingers to his eye level, she grinned, "See! We are connected! This way, no matter how far apart we are from each other after this, we could still able to find our way back to each other in the future!"

The boy eyes widen at her statement, but quickly pulled himself back together, "Like I said, it was just a silly bedtime stories made up by humans themselves! There is no such thing as deity and fairies in this world, nothing but aragamis!" although deep inside he still want to believe the tale of red thread are true.

Unfazed by the boy's words, she still smiled genuinely, "In that case, why don't we test it out ourselves, to see whether we could still find our way back to each other in future? It's not hurt to try, right?"

The boy went mute for a moment, staring intensely at the smiling girl, "Why are you so convince that it was real?"

"Because we met each other right now," she replied with her soft voice, " After all, every encounter can't be a mere coincidence, there must be a reason that we are met right now," she held his hand close to her, " so I believe we will see each other again soon."

The boy said nothing in return; all he could do was staring at the red fabric that linked their little fingers together. Believes, was a really hard task to do in this dying world, especially since you could not predict which day will be your last meal, not to mention he have a job where death will always by his side haunting him to meet his death on the battlefield. But right now for this moment, he wanted to have a believes as well, even if just for a little moment, without the burden and responsibility that was thrown on to his shoulder since his birth.

"Hn," was his only reply to the girl, he knew the girl wouldn't take his reply as insults. He turn his gaze back to the sky, watching as the snow falls gracefully from the clouded sky, wondering why the girl would so terrified of something so beautiful.

They both went silent for a long time, enjoying the quiet moments they had provides to each other, until the boy starts to speaks out his thoughts, "I never really cared about seasons before, since places still look almost the same to me except the change in temperature," the boy said, didn't move his gave away from the sky, "but right now, I think the winter is the season I like best." Because good thing happened to him today.

He was actually expecting a reply, until he felt a weight leaned on his shoulder. He immediately tear his gaze away from the cloudy sky and turn to look at the sudden weight on his left shoulder, only to find the girl fall asleep soundly on him.

This only means that... She didn't heard what he had just said?

Well, maybe is for the better. They probably won't see each other again after this, even after the talk of the red thread... His felt his chest ached at the thought. Oh hell no, he was turning into a sap...

He sighs dejectedly. He had talked so much today... More than every day he had in these thirteen years, if the others found out about it, they would stare at him as if he had grown himself another clone of death.

The boy switches his vision to the main gate, and frowned. The girl said her brothers will come and fetch her anytime soon by that gate. He grumbled inwardly, prying off the girl's rather tight grip on his hand even in her sleep, and undo the knots of the red fabric to release their fingers .He took off his hoodie, revealing the light blue long-sleeved shirt that he is wearing. After wrapped his jacket around the girl, which was obviously too big for her, he squad down to get the sleeping girl on his back. After he made sure the girl wouldn't fall off from his back, he began to walk slowly to the main gate.

The snow are starting to pile up as time pass, he had only walked a quarter distance from where he and the girl met to the main gate. He was aware, that he was walking slower and slower each and every step he took. He did not want the warm on his back to disappear so soon, so he dragged every second he could. He was startled when the bundle on his back stirred, a pair of limbs that was smaller than his wrapped around his neck, she nuzzled her face into his neck, breathing evenly, as if she felt that she was having her slumber in the safest place in this chaotic world. He was having a goose bump when he felt her warm breaths on his neck, and stop walking. Until, he heard the girl mumbles softly. Her voice was so soft, that no one could make out what she had said unless you get her to repeat it louder, but the boy was different, he had a keen hearing of none human possibly possesses.

"**You're so warm."**

"No…" he replied, but not loud enough to wake her up. He lowered his head, watched as the thin layer of snow piling up on his shoes, "**You **made me realize even a half-aragami like me could feel warm inside."

The boy took one side glance at the girl who leaned her head on his shoulder and smiled softly. After he had shifted her in more comfortable position on his back, he continued his way towards the main gate. Lots of thoughts had run through in his mind while his slow walk to the destination. It'll really be a good bye once they get there. Once the farewell are made, he will sure return in being the infamous monster that everyone deemed him to be, and he could sense the negative impressions he had received all these years were actually eating him inside out, and one day he might eventually turn into a heartless person.

But at least for now, at this one and only moment, he wished he could become a human just for a day for her, for she who sees him as a normal human. His feet was getting heavier on him, almost dragging upon the sight of the main gate getting closer and closer, only a few more step left.

Ignoring the look he got from the guard who was guarding the gate, he glance every corner nearby for the silhouette who could possibly be someone the girl know, in return, there was no one around except both of them and the guard. He was relieved inwardly, he don't mind carrying the girl a little longer, because once he let go, he will certainly not receive another close contact like this with other human like this again until the day he die.

As for the curse… to the hell with the curse! He will not let this one die on him.

"I'll bet on everything I have even my humanity and sanity to you, you damn curse! Keep your claws off this one!" so there will be a person remembers, that he, today, or is it just an hour, lived as a normal human, even he had lose his sanity to the monster side of him one day.

Just as he had finished his swearing to his own curse, he heard a rapid footsteps coming from a direction. He swiftly place the girl down on the snow piled ground and let her back lean against the wall, decided to leave his jacket with her as a remembrance. Before he took his leave, get a one last close look at the girl and gently patted on her hair, "My name is Soma Schicksal by the way, not that you are awake to hear this…"

He ran to the opposite direction where the other came running close, he hide himself in a rather dark alley, no one would able to notice unless they walk in on him. He silently look out for the girl. He had no intention to leave until he was sure that the person was someone who the girl recognizes.

"Holy Shit! Hatsuyuki!" a raven haired guy who didn't look older than twenty came in to his view. With worries written all over his face, the raven kneeled down beside the girl who was now known as Hatsuyuki and shook her awake franticly, "Shit! Rinc is going to have my head! Hatsuyuki, speak to me!"

The girl frowned in discomfort at the sudden roughness, using her hand to rub her eyes awake and drowsily look up to the worried young man, "Oh, Leo it's you!" she said groggily with a soft smile. Leo sighed in relieved, placing his hands on both sides of Hatsuyuki's cold cheeks, trying to make them warm down, "Geez, don't you 'Oh, Leo it's you' me! You scared me there! Any froze bitten?"

"No," she replied softly as she could not shake her head with other's both hands holding her face.

"Good," Leo sighed again, letting go of her cheeks once he felt her body temperature had warmed up, "so tell me, young lady," he lightly pinched her on her nose, "How was is possible for you to get lost while you were literally grabbing a handful my clothes with your iron grip?"

"I'm sorry," she apologized with an uneasy smile, "I was kind of dazing off, you see… its winter now…" she practically whispered the last part.

"Ah," the raven seems to realize what she meant, scratching the back of his head with a pang of guilt, "That time of the year already? I'm sorry, that was really careless of me." He gave a few gentle stroke on her head apologetically, which she shook her head and gave him a soft smile as a respond that she didn't mind. This was when he noticed the extra garment that she was currently wearing, "Where did you get that? I didn't know that you have a hoodie with you hours ago," he asked, pointing at the hoodie.

"Oh this," she looked down at the hoodie that she was wearing and took a good look at it for a few second until her memory before she fell asleep rushed back to her. She abruptly stood up to look around her surrounding, trying to search for the owner of this hoodie, until she gave up in disappointment due unable to catch a glimpse of the boy.

"Well?" the raven raised an eyebrow, waiting for her answer.

She stared down at the hoodie that she was now wearing sadly, but that was only for a short moment, she then looked at Leo with a bright smile on her face, "Leo, guess what? I met my destined person!" She exclaimed like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

The boy who was hiding at the dark alley was taken aback by her words; same goes to Leo who was equally shock, mouth hang open.

Her what? Soma thought in disbelieves.

"Oh really?" Leo smirked at the little bundle of joy teasingly, "Why I don't see him, now why is that?" he looked around to show his discredit.

"Obviously he don't want to see you," straight to the mark. She said with a straight face.

So true. Soma chuckled silently.

"Ack!" Leo held his hand close to his heart, faking a sad face on her, "That was really straightforward of you, I'm truly hurt!" Hatsuyuki laughed at his action for a few good moments until her laughter slowly died down. She then explained her encounter with the boy with her unfading smile, "This boy, he was a little grumpy and snappy, but he was really kind inside," she said as she pulled up the hoodie to cover her head from the snow," I told him that I got lost here and that, until the sky starts to snow, I was terrified and told him that I was scared of winter, he then agreed to keep me company until either you or Rinc come to fetch me."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. But it seems that he had carried me all the way here after I fell asleep on him, and leaves his hoodie behind to keep me warm until you came," she sounded upset when she said the part when the boy leave without saying a word, "I wasn't able to say thank you…"

Leo listened to her attentively, attempted to cheer her up from her repentant for not being able to thank this 'destined person' of hers, but instead, he teased, refuse to let the chance to make her fluster slip away, "Ah~, Ohoho, I see this so-called destined person had charmed you."

Hatsuyuki tilted her head innocently to a side, stared up at the young man for a short while, and chirped happily, "Yup!"

The hiding boy couldn't help but blushed at that, but it didn't stop his small smile from gracing on his lips.

"Hehehe, I see- Wait! What?" Leo hug his own head in pure terror, "Oh no! Nonononono! Don't do this to me!" He grabbed on the smiling girl's shoulders, "Please tell me that you are joking!"

"Nope, I'm not joking at all!" she replied innocently.

The raven hung his head in defeated, "Great... Just great! Rinc is going to skin me alive-" a ringtone of his cellphone interrupted his nonstop ranting, looking at the caller ID on the small screen had only one more step forward throwing him into the depth of hell, "Hatsyuki, you little devil in angel disguise!" he gave a one last sob and answer the call, " Hey, Rinc- Whoa there, chill! I found her waiting here just exactly where you told her to, safe and sound! No need to yell!"

Hatsuyuki turned away from the phone bickering pair and switched her gaze to the jacket that the boy left behind. She was amazed by the size of it. It was huge! The sleeve was long, completely covered up her whole hands even when she straightens it; the hem of the jacket had reached just above her knees, which could be passing as a one-piece dress. It was weird, since they did not look that much different in size when they stood together… Okay, she admits that the boy was few inches higher, ONLY a few inches higher…She giggled nonetheless, "So warm." It was then she heard a soft rustle from a dark alley not far away, she immediately snapped her head to that direction, straining her eyes to take a better look at that pit black alley, resisting the urge of going there as she somehow know that the boy will flee straight away before the girl could even reach him, which was quite saddening to be honest. Even so, she smiled and said softly, "Thank you, Gods Eater."

Soma stiffed. She knew. She knew it all along, yet she did not run away from him.

"Thank you," she continued, knew that he could somehow heard her voice, "for making the snow seems a little less scarier to me, though I couldn't say that the phobia was completely healed, but I'll start trying to see the snow in different way." Her voice starts to waver, that was when Soma realize that she was trembling all this time, not visible enough to be notice, she hides it well. But as the snow pilling up with quick pace, the height of the piles had buried her feet that had made that brave mask she wore slowly starts to shatter bits by bits.

"I'll keep your jacket with me," she said whilst clutching tight at the hem of the jacket to still her trembles, "and return it to you until the day we meet again in the future, when it is when I had overcome the fear, let's enjoy the winter together." She smiled weakly, but promising, "so as in return, please keep this save for me." Hatsuyuki pulled down the white ribbon that was tied at the left side of her fringe earlier and leave it neatly on the snow piled ground.

Soma gave no replies, still hiding, but gaze locked on the pure white ribbon that was left on the snow. He... Have some much to say. How he actually wanted to spill the beans once in a while to someone that who will listen attentively without turning away in fear, about his past, what he had been through, what treatments he has to face, the gaze of disgust and terror he have to receive, and so much more... All those hidden feelings that he had been bottling up inside him, it was painful for not able to voice it out, shout it out even, he won't know how long his sanity will last.

And then, a voice snaps them both out of it.

"Hatsuyuki, let's go!" called Leo, giving a brief wave at her.

"I'm coming!" she replied. Before she go, she gave the dark alley where the boy was hiding in a one last look, and whispers," It's a promise." After that, the girl and Leo left, slowly disappearing in the view of snow. Soma walks out from his hiding, stepping closer where the ribbon lies. He kneeled down to pick up the soft piece of object, brushing away the remaining snow that was sticking on to the surface of the ribbon, "It's a promise." He whispered back, even if the girl was no longer to hear it, he was sure that she knows his answer. He bites his inner cheeks, trying to hold back the tears that was watering in his eyes from falling. His attempt had failed as two trickles of tears breaks free from its confine, sliding down both sides of his cheeks. Soma quickly wipes them away with that back of his hand, refuses to show his weak side in the public, he stood up promptly and shove the ribbon into his pocket, proceed his way back to the Den.

He had never cried this much for thirteen years in his life, not even when he were in his age of yearning for a care and affections from his cold hearted, son of the bitch father. The sudden thought of the girl might die anytime really breaks his heart painfully.

"Please make sure that you will be able to live until that day though, or else you are nothing but a comfort dream I had yearn to be real." He said sadly, wiping the remaining tears away from his eyes.

Next time, the next time for sure, he will make sure that they will not be separated again, like the myth of the invisible red thread of fate.

If both of them could still live until the day they meet again.


End file.
